Penny vs Pippa
Penny and Pippacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Penny was ranked #156 and Pippa #118 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Penny was ranked #134 and Pippa #127 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Penny was ranked #193 and Pippa #136 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Penny was ranked #138 and Pippa #230 among girls in Scotland.
Penny and Pippa over time
Penny and Pippa appear together in 3 published lists, across 63 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Pippa reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Penny in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2024, Pippa moved ahead of Penny in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #93 and #114 the year before became #130 and #110.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Penny and Pippa changed places 8 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 2011 and 2024, ending at #134 and #127.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Penny and Pippa averaged 48.6 places apart, ending at #156 and #118.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Penny #166 in 2020, Pippa #112 in 2018.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Penny held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Pippa in 22.
Highest recorded here: Penny #166 in 2020, Pippa #112 in 2018.
The order changed in 2002: Pippa moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #579 and #685; by 2002 that had become #722 and #582.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Penny #193, Pippa #136.
Republic of Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 2004–2025
Penny held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Pippa in 9.
Highest recorded here: Penny #82 in 2022, Pippa #77 in 2018.
The order changed in 2024: Pippa moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #93 and #114; by 2024 that had become #130 and #110.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Penny #156, Pippa #118.
Northern Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 2011–2024
Penny held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Pippa in 5.
Highest recorded here: Penny #67 in 2022, Pippa #67 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Penny #134, Pippa #127.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Penny | Pippa |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #156 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #75 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Penny and Pippa both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Penny
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #508 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2009–2024
Highest recorded position: #67 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 2009–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #156 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Pippa
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #671 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2010–2022
Highest recorded position: #44 among girls in New Zealand, in 2013 (recorded 2010–2022).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #75 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls